Prabha
by whitedragon2645
Summary: A strange request calling for a healer makes its way into Fairy Tail's hall. Surrounded by the sands of time and the ashes of the dead, will Wendy and Romeo make it out alive...or sane? What's reflected in the mirror isn't always the real you. Post timeskip, T for gore in later chapters. RoWen, NaLu, GaLe.
1. revolution1

**General Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga "Fairy Tail," copyrighted by Mashima Hiro. No offense is intended in the production of this fanFICTION, and any (well, most) resemblance to people or places in the real world is (kind of) coincidental.**

****This story takes place out of timeline after the timeskip: in other words, it really doesn't have much to do with canon events and shouldn't be read as such.********

**Information on pairings and updates in the bottom AN.**

Prabha

"And like a colorful bloom of temporary lights in the sky, you will shine."

_Wendy Marvell was many things._

_ There were, of course, the obvious ones—Sky Dragonslayer, accomplished healer, adorable moe character, and of course the most important: member of Fairy Tail. Wendy was also other things: kind, brave, at times horrifyingly naïve. Wendy was everyone's little sister, barring a few (read: Romeo). Regardless, the truth remained that among all the many things that Wendy Marvell was, there was one thing that she certainly was not:_

_Wendy Marvell was _not_ weak._

_This was something that was often difficult to see behind her kind and passive disposition. Even in Fairy Tail there weren't many who could see the strength behind her fragile exterior—and not just physical strength. Indeed, few could ever even hope to see the mental strength, and the strength of character that was truly uncommon in a girl of her age. Then again, one can only suppose that is what comes of being a true Fairy Tail mage. _

_Getting back to the point, Wendy Marvell was anything but weak. And small and plain and soft-spoken as she was, even the smallest of people gets his (her, in this case) chance to shine brightly._

_This story, my dear reader, is such a tale. This is a story of opportunity, and the destiny of one Wendy Marvell...of Fairy Tail._

_Come._

_Let's begin._

* * *

><p><span>Prabha<span>

"And like a colorful bloom of temporary lights in the sky, you will shine."

Wendy sighed, slumping down on a table in the crowded and noisy guild. Head lying on one arm, she lazily surveyed the normal antics of her beloved guild.

There, to the right, Natsu the Fire Dragonslayer and Lucy the Celestial Spirit Mage arguing about something or other (Wendy caught "personal space", "weirdo", and "sneaking into my bed" among others) as they were circled by a flying, taunting blue cat named Happy. The conversation was interrupted snidely by a dark-haired mage currently missing a shirt (in the process of removing his pants as well)—that would be Gray, Fairy Tail's famous strip—that is, ice mage. Wendy giggled inwardly as Natsu and Gray snarled at each other, standing for the oncoming brawl as Lucy tried vainly to calm them down. Wendy smiled at the familiar scene; now if only—ah, there was Erza Scarlet striding in from the left to bash Natsu and Gray's foreheads together. Wendy watched as she embarked on a stern lecture, Lucy laughing nervously in the background while Natsu and Gray rubbed their heads. Wendy smiled. It was always nice to see Fairy Tail's Strongest Team gathered together.

And who was that, two tables to the left, hiding behind an overturned chair—dark blue hair and a strange hat, with hearts in her eyes; it could only be Juvia of the Deep, stalking Gray as usual. Mirajane stood behind the bar, polishing glasses with her usual serene smile as Lisanna and Elfman laughed nearby. And nearer to the entrance was a woman wearing only a blue bikini top and a pair of reddish brown pants, guzzling beer from a large barrel. Two more sat by her side, apparently empty. Wendy winced. _That_ could only be Cana Clive, Fairy Tail's resident drunk. In the back corner, a grumbling Gajeel Redfox vainly pretended to ignore a petite, light blue haired chatterbox who went by the name of Levy McGarden. Close by Jet and Droy seethed in jealousy.

The usual chaos surrounded Wendy on all sides, fading into the background as she closed her eyes. It was always nice to be surrounded by the people who had accepted her into their guild and into their hearts; really, it was the best family a girl could want.

Even so…

Wendy was still plagued by doubt. Doubt in herself, and in her abilities.

_Don't think about that, _she told herself vehemently. _You're the Sky Dragonslayer, for goodness' sake. You'll be just as strong as Natsu-san and Gajeel-san, if you just work hard enough…_

Wendy frowned as she continued to contemplate. When she had first come to Fairy Tail, she had been happy to blend into the background, to examine her new nakama and to get to know them. Slowly, she had grown closer to Team Natsu, and Gajeel and Levy and everyone. And she was still happy just to be around them. But regardless, Wendy began to wonder.

_Why was she there?_

What was her reason for being? Why was it Wendy that Grandeeney came across in the woods one day, and not someone else? What power did she have that gave her the right to stand alongside such great and brave people—people like those at Fairy Tail? Wasn't there anything that only she could do for them?

Wendy scrunched her brow, so deep in thought that she didn't even register the mildly foreboding presence slowly creeping up from behind her. She stared vacantly out at the guild, questioning and wondering like she had been for so long.

_There _has_ to be a reason_, she insisted mentally. _Grandeeney wouldn't have taught me if I didn't have something—anything, anything at all._ _If I could maybe just think a little harder maybe I cou—_

"Boo."

Wendy shrieked and jumped out of her seat, her knees catching on the table and sending her flailing over on her side as the table and chairs scattered onto the floor. The guild roared with laughter as she sheepishly picked herself up, giggling quietly as she rubbed her head in embarrassment.

_Maybe that's my purpose, _she thought ruefully, moving to right the table and chair. _Fairy Tail's resident comedian._

"Sorry, Wendy!" A pair of hands joined hers, helping stand the table back up and then fluttering awkwardly around her. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Wendy paused to turn a nervous smile to the dark haired boy by her side. "N-no, Romeo, I'm just fine. Promise."

"Eh-heh. That's good then," Romeo rubbed his head, grinning sheepishly. "I didn't mean to scare you _that_ bad, Wendy, since you usually notice what with the dragonslayer senses…"

Wendy paused to consider her companion as he continued talking. Romeo Conbolt, son of Macao Conbolt, was a Rainbow Fire Mage and her best friend (best human friend—can't forget Charle). At 15 years old, he had grown into a handsome and strong young man—and an unfailingly kind one, worthy of being a Fairy Tail mage. His idolization of Natsu had taken him far, and he was quickly becoming just like Fairy Tail's Fire Dragonslayer (but with a more developed sense of personal space). Wendy blushed. As the only two of their own age in the guild, they had formed a strong bond (especially on Wendy's side), and often took missions together with Charle.

_Handsome_ _is right,_ she thought shyly.

Shaking her head rapidly, Wendy interrupted gently. "Really, Romeo-kun, I'm okay. It was just an accident, anyway. Did you need something?"

"Ah, I was just wondering if you wanted to take a mission or something. It's been getting kind of boring around here, and I want to have an adventure!" Romeo replied with a rakish grin, running his hands through his already messy hair.

Wendy smiled brightly. "An adventure sounds good, Romeo-kun. I'm ready if you are!" _This is what I need,_ she thought firmly. _A mission will get this nonsense out of my head. _

The two chatted lightly as they made their way to the mission board, pausing to duck as a chair flew over their heads, and then again as Natsu flew over their heads, not stopping once.

"…So, what were you thinking about so hard over there?" Romeo casually inquired. "You looked like your head was going to explode."

Wendy gasped. "I didn't! Did I really?"

Romeo grinned. "Sure ya did! You were frowning so hard I thought your face might get stuck that way," he laughed, pulling his cheeks into a grotesque imitation of Wendy's earlier expression. She giggled, hiding her mouth behind her hands.

Dropping his hands into his pockets, Romeo turned to Wendy pensively as they continued to make their way across the chaotic hall. "Seriously, nothing's wrong, is it? You know that Fairy Tail is willing to help out no matter what the problem is—"

"I know that, Romeo, of course," Wendy interrupted gently. Linking her hands behind her back, she smiled gently, a little sadly. "I've just had a lot on my mind, is all."

Romeo watched her for a few more seconds before smiling and stopping as they finally reached the mission board. "If you're sure, Wendy. But you can always talk to me, okay? I've got your back!"

Wendy stared at Romeo's bright grin, blushing and shyly dropping her head. "Thank you, Romeo. Thank you very much."

"So, what kind of mission are we taking? You can pick anything you want—just as long as it's not boring, okay? No kid missions!" Romeo stuck out his tongue. "Although, that one about the missing cat actually turned out pretty hard with the dog monsters and the talking mice and all…"

Wendy giggled lightly, perusing the board as she listened with half an ear to Romeo's chatter. Roving her eyes over the board, her attention came suddenly to a stop on one particular advertisement for help.

It was written on old, dark yellow parchment, crumbling around the edges; it seemed as if with one touch it would blow away into the wind. Wendy carefully unpinned it from the board to examine it further. The paper itself was almost entirely empty but for a few lines in the center written in a strange, alien looking language. Harsh black writing formed strings of boxes and strange symbols.

Wendy frowned, about to put it back—

Until she saw_ it_.

On the bottom corner was drawn a small dragon, wings raised and teeth bared. Wendy's breath caught. The dragon's lithe shape, broad wings, delicate teeth and claws: even so crudely drawn on such old parchment they called to her with familiarity. Her hands shook minutely, eyes entirely focused on the small but majestic reptile; she could almost _feel_ her mind adding in details of a dragon long lost but never forgotten.

"Wendy? Is something wrong?" Romeo waved a hand in front of her face, peering curiously over her shoulder at the paper in her hands. "What the heck is that? I can't read it at all."

Wendy shook her head, too disoriented to even blush about their proximity. "This one," she squeaked. "I want to take this request, Romeo."

Romeo frowned in confusion. "Well, that's great and all, but how can we take a request when we don't even know what it says?"

Wendy grimaced, eyes roving over the guild in thought. "W-Well, that's certainly a problem…" Suddenly her eyes came to a stop, fixating on a flash of aquamarine in back corner of the guild. She beamed. "We can ask Levy-san to translate for us! I bet she knows what language this is."

Quickly she tapped her way over, almost losing Romeo in her sudden rush. She ducked under Elfman's arm and waved off Bixlow's shrieking dolls before coming to a stop at Gajeel and Levy's table. As Romeo came to stand at her shoulder she smiled quickly and apologetically before turning to tap the chattering bluehead on the shoulder—never noticing the slight tint of red that stained Romeo's face.

"Oh, hiya Wendy!" Levy beamed out, full of cheer as always. Gajeel nodded gruffly, in contrast to Pantherlily's gentlemanly greeting. "Did you need something?"

"Um, actually, Levy-san," Wendy began hesitantly, "we were wondering if you could possibly translate this request for us?" She held out the paper, bowing slightly.

"Let's see it," Levy said, gently taking the paper and smoothing it out on the table. She peered at the symbols for a moment before perking up suddenly. "I can translate this for sure! Actually, I just found a book on this language two days ago, and I kept it with me for some light reading. Crazy coincidence, huh?" She laughed, pulling a tome the size of her head out of her satchel. Romeo and Wendy stared at Levy's "light reading" while Gajeel rolled his eyes and pretended not to gawk. "This language is called Meshbaalan—from the country of Meshbaal. It's a ways down east of Fiore, a principality right in the middle of Bosco; there's a lot of desert and the people are very isolated. They don't really like outsiders down there from what I've read—I wonder who called us," she mused, scribbling down the translated request. Now finished, she held the request up to the light, nodding proudly at her work.

Smiling, she laid it back down on the table and turned it over to Wendy. "There's your request. You've got good intuition; looks right up your alley. And what a reward!"

Romeo and Wendy looked down at the request, surprise lighting up their features as they read. Romeo grinned. "That's our Wendy! She's got the best intuition out there."

Wendy blushed heavily, fiddling with the ends of her hair as she contemplated the newly translated job.

HELP

HEALER NEEDED: COUNTRY OF MESHBAAL

REWARD: 500,000 JWL

CONTACT MERIN IN CITY OF HAMIL

"That's pretty vague for a request, though," Levy said thoughtfully. "It sounds kind of urgent, so it might be difficult, even dangerous in a strange country with no details. Are you sure you're up for it?" Levy stared at the young team with concern.

"Definitely!" Romeo crowed. "If it's Wendy and me, we can do it! After all, we _are_ Fairy Tail mages."

Wendy looked once more at the dragon in the corner, gathering courage from its familiar shape. She pushed down the small feeling of nervousness and foreboding that swirled in her stomach.

_This is it,_ she told herself determinedly. _There are people who need your help, and this is something only _you_ can do. _

Turning to face Romeo's confident smile, she took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. Let's do it—you, me, and Charle."

"Alright!" Romeo cheered. "You'll be the healer, obviously, and Charle and I can be your gallant escorts. Hey, where is Charle anyways?"

"Oh, she's out getting groceries, I think," Wendy said, putting a finger to her lips. "We usually take turns, so—"

"Oi."

Wendy jumped a little, spinning around to see Gajeel looking at her intensely. Levy and Pantherlily stilled, looking back and forth between the Iron and Sky Dragonslayers.

Gajeel peered at her for a moment longer before nodding pointedly at the request.

"What's with the dragon?"

* * *

><p><strong>Hai, hai, minna-san! Boku no atarashii monogatari he youkoso!<strong>

**Nante, just kidding.**

**This story is titled Prabha, which is Marathi for "shine"—I felt it appropriate because this story is, essentially, Wendy's time to shine. Wendy's always fascinated me as a character, even as someone who typically favors naturals and such over cutesy-cutesy types like Wendy; but she's the only female DS, and we saw in the GMG that despite being so young she has Fairy Tail resolve. Anyway, I hope you enjoy—I'm making my goal for the next chapter to be two weeks from today.**

**** A note on pairings: Romance doesn't play a huge role here, but I can't resist just a little so…pairings will be RomeoxWendy, NatsuxLucy, GajeelxLevy. Again, these will not be the main plot, but you can expect some fluff, and at least one get together (depending on where the story goes).****

**Also, if anyone is interesting in betaing, please let me know! As always, read and review!**

**Song listened to while I wrote the chapter: Transfer by Livetune (ft. Nakajima Megumi)**

**-WD2645**


	2. revolution2

**Yay! Chapter Two is almost a week early!**

**On another note, minna, I got 0 reviews for chapter one—which made me really sad, but it's probably also because this fandom updates so damn fast.**

**Anyway, I did get three followers, so how about 3 reviews for an update? Not like, the moment I get three reviews, but three will definitely speed up the process for you ;) Also, please read the tarot card description at the bottom!**

**On with the show!**

* * *

><p><span>Prabha<span>

"And like a colorful bloom of temporary lights in the sky, you will shine."

* * *

><p><em> "Hali…where…back…"<em>

_ "…can't see…so dark…"_

_ "…ome back…Hali, COME BACK—"_

* * *

><p><em> "Well? Are you coming or what?"<em>

_ Wendy opened her eyes, only to shut them quickly again as she was assaulted by harsh winds, full of sand and grit. Throwing her hands up to cover her face, she cautiously peered out from under her lashes. Surrounding her on all sides was a barren, empty desert that seemed to stretch out into infinity, meeting and surpassing the horizon. The sky was an ugly, muddy gray—covered with heavy clouds and without sun._

_ "Are you coming or not?" The light, feminine voice that spoke up behind her contrasted the angry malice dripping from her tone. It spoke slowly, as if talking to a very dumb child._

_ Whipping around, Wendy stared at the figure that stood behind her, shrouded in darkness. Hands on hips cocked to the right, the shadow stood at about her height, long hair flowing in the winds. The shadow stood completely unaffected by the winds, silent, emitting malevolence. _

_ "You're late, Wendy Marvell," the figure tapped one finger against her wrist, as if at an imaginary watch. "People are dying. Your friends are dying."_

_ "What are you talking about?" Wendy cried out, trying to be heard over the hissing winds. "My friends are fine! They're strong—they'd never die so easily!"_

_ "What is life? What is death?" the figure continued, steamrolling over Wendy's response. "You're dying as we speak. Everything that lives is dying—we only live to die."_

_ "That's insane!" Wendy gasped. "People live because—well, because they're living, and because they have precious—"_

_ "We eat to die. We sleep to die," the shadow continued, ignoring Wendy completely. "We work to die. We speak to die."_

_ Wendy shuddered. "No! We speak to help each other stand up! We _save _our friends, as true Fairy Tail mages!" Her eyes began to water as she thought back to her Cait Shelter family, all the wonderful people who had taken care of her for so long—_

_ "We create to die. We make energy to die. We form bonds only to die—"_

_ "You're wrong!" Wendy cried, clapping her hands over her ears, a tear streaming down her face. "You're wrong, you're wrong, you're wrong!"_

_ The figure stopped momentarily. "If I'm so wrong, why don't you come and prove it, Wendy Marvell?" she said, voice dripping with contempt. Raising her hand, she curled one finger challengingly in Wendy's direction. "Come, try and save your friends, if you can. They die as we speak, so it won't make a difference."_

_ "Wendy?" A new, familiar voice spoke up weakly from behind her. Whirling around, Wendy gasped. "Natsu-san?"_

_ "Wendy, help—" Natsu stopped, choking and putting one hand over his heart. Wendy cried out in horror as blood erupted in his chest, a hole opening up out of nowhere, sundering his body into pieces until he hit the ground, eyes lifeless._

_ "Natsu-san!" Wendy sobbed. "Wait a minute!" She tried desperately to move, but found she could not move her legs. "Please don't go!"_

_ "Wendy, it's okay!" Wendy turned her head, struggling to make out Lucy's figure through tear filled eyes. "I'm here to save you—"_

_ "Don't come!" Wendy screamed. "Go back—"_

_ Lucy stopped dead, staring at her hands. Slowly, from the fingertips downward she began to unravel into strings, her legs unwinding from underneath her. She took a few tottering steps forward, ultimately stumbling to her knees as the threads of her existence came apart before her eyes, stained bright red._

_ "Wendy," she choked out, reaching out what was left of her arm in an appeal—for what? Help? Mercy? Wendy thrust out her hand, crying incoherently as Lucy, who had always been so kind to her, dissolved into nothing._

_ "We sing to die. We dance to die. We are born to die. We _are_ to die—"_

_ Wendy turned her face away, dropping her head into her hands. "Wake up, Wendy," she muttered to herself. "It's just a dream. Wake up, wake up, WAKE UP—"_

"Wendy, wake up!" Wendy's brown eyes shot open to stare directly into Romeo's face, leaning over her curiously. Wendy shrieked, scrambling away, heedless of the way her elbow carelessly knocked him in the forehead.

"R-Romeo-kun!" Wendy shrieked, pulling the blankets up to her chin, whipping her eyes frantically around the darkened room. Soaking in the sight, she recognized the place—it was her home, her bedroom in Fairy Hills, small and comforting with the shades drawn and the lights off. Wendy let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, unconsciously relaxing now that she was back in familiar territory. _So it was just a dream_, she thought faintly. _Everyone's fine. _She turned her attention back to Romeo, nervously inquiring, "What in the world are you doing here?"

Romeo glared half-heartedly out of one eye, still rubbing his forehead. "I'm here to get you, of course. Charle sent me in to wake you up. Or did you forget that we're leaving today?"

Wendy started, dropping the blankets to get out of bed, revealing the long sleeved button up pajama top and shorts she wore. Romeo blushed, looking away. "That's right, we are leaving today!"

She jumped out of bed, drawing open the curtains and wincing at the sudden onslaught of sunlight. Whirling around to glance at the clock, she gasped in shock. "It's already so late? Romeo-kun, why didn't you wake me sooner?!" She pattered over to her chest of drawers, throwing an already half-packed blue duffel bag onto the floor and stuffing more clothes inside.

Romeo pouted, crossing his arms. "I couldn't help it! You didn't get up." He frowned pensively, unwinding his arms to lean back on his hands. "You didn't look so good—you were tossing and turning, and mumbling something." He peered closely at her suddenly still form, frozen in the action of dropping a shirt into the bag. "Are you sure you're okay? It looked like you were having a nightmare or something."

Wendy stayed stationary, long hair shadowing her face for just a moment before she popped back up with her customary sunny smile. "No, I'm fine, Romeo-kun. To be honest, I really can't even remember what I was dreaming about now, hehe."

Romeo snorted. "Yeah, that sounds just like you, scatterbrain," he teased lightly, a smile playing across his lips.

Wendy pouted, tossing back a mock-offended look. "Jeez, you're so mean, Romeo-kun!" She zipped up her duffle bag and glanced once more at the clock, shrieking as she realized the time. "Romeo-kun! We're going to be late! We have to hurry, or we're going to miss the train, and then what'll we do…"

Wendy turned back to the dresser and away from Romeo, grabbing frantically at the top buttons of her shirt and unfastening them quickly, almost unconsciously, as if she had forgotten he was even there. Romeo sucked in a breath, face turning the color of a ripe tomato as he slapped a hand up to cover his eyes and rushing to his feet.

"O-Oi! At least wait until I'm out of the room to do that!"

"What on Earth are you talking abou—" Wendy spun around before freezing, stock-still. Very slowly she glanced down at her shirt (which only had the top few buttons open, thank goodness) and back up at Romeo. Nervously he peeked through his fingers, jaw dropping at the image of a very short Sky Dragonslayer doing her best impression of a red steam train.

.

.

.

"GET OUT!"

* * *

><p>"Luuuuuuuuce, do we have to go on the train? Can't we just walk?"<p>

"TO ANOTHER COUNTRY, NATSU? REALLY?"

"Gihihi, guess the sparkle princess can't handle a simple train ride—"

"Like you're one to talk, scrap heap!"

"—what was that, ya fire freak?"

"You wanna go, metal head? Hah?"

"Bring it, flame brain—"

"Gajeel! Knock it off, or I won't write you any more IRON for the next week!"

"That's it! LUCY KICK!"

"Charle, would you like a fish?"

"No, I most certainly would not! Will you remove that disgusting thing from my sight!"

"Now, now, Charle, do be reasonable…"

Wendy and Romeo stared, awestruck at the screeching (figurative) train wreck that stood before them in the form of four Fairy Tail mages and three Exceeds.

Wendy sweat dropped, face twitching as her hands clutched her bag.

"When did we get so many people…?"

* * *

><p><em>Flashback: Yesterday at the Guild Hall<em>

Wendy stared incomprehensibly at Gajeel. "S-Sorry, Gajeel-kun, what was that?"

Gajeel glared gruffly. "I said, what's with the dragon on the request form?" he rumbled, inclining his head towards the mysterious piece of paper.

Wendy perked up, now understanding his sudden inquiry. "Oh! That dragon, I see."

She stared thoughtfully at the paper, one finger to her lips. "To tell you the truth, I don't really understand it, but…" She trailed off, glancing nervously at Gajeel's uncharacteristically serious face. "Don't make fun of me, but it's the reason I wanted to take the request in the first place! I don't really get it, but it's got this weird kind of feeling to it, and it looks almost like—"

"Metalicana."

"Grandeeney."

Wendy and Gajeel started, having spoken simultaneously. They both frowned, Gajeel leaning forward to rest his hand on the table.

"No way that thing looks like Grandeeney, kid! You blind, or what?" He jabbed his finger roughly at the page, indicating the dragon's flank. "Metalicana had a scar here, same as this dragon. It's definitely him. Besides, there's no way a female dragon could be that big!"

"I-I'm sorry to disagree with you, Gajeel-san, but on the contrary there is no way Metalicana-san would be so slender!" Wendy argued back, anxious but determined in her perception. "Besides, it's clearly blue, not gray."

Gajeel snorted. "So you're colorblind, too, is that what you're saying?"

"Hey!" snapped Romeo. He opened his mouth, but was abruptly interrupted when—

"What about Gray? Is the ice princess picking a fight? And who's talking about dragons?"

Natsu screeched onto the scene, nearly bowling Romeo over in the process. He stared at the paper for a few seconds, before his eyes widened in wonder at the bottom corner of the page.

"Whoa! Isn't that Igneel?"

"NO!" Wendy and Gajeel shouted at the same time.

"What the hell are you two yelling for?" Natsu shouted back. "Look at it! It's red, so it's clearly Igneel, unless you two know any other red flame dragons!"

"You're such a moron, damn pyro! It's gray and it's got the scar, so clearly it's Metalicana!"

Wendy struggled to make her voice heard over the ruckus as Natsu and Gajeel cracked their knuckles, preparing for a fight.

"GAJEEL!"

"LUCY KICK!"

Out of nowhere, a large, heavy red purse smacked Gajeel dead in the face, bowling him onto his back so hard he shook the floor. At the same time a force of enormous magnitude smashed into Natsu's back, sending him face down into the hard wooden planks.

One foot firmly planted on Natsu's pink head, Lucy smiled (somewhat viciously) at her nakama, sweetly asking, "Anything interesting going on over here?" A curious Happy fluttered around her head, seemingly unconcerned for his "father's" current condition.

"Hell yeah, there is!" Gajeel picked himself up, scowling at the smug blue-haired midget before him. Picking up the request (and coming dangerously close to knocking his precious Pantherlily off the table, he thrust it into Lucy's face. Stumbling, she backpedaled off Natsu's head, who groaned as he lifted it off the floor. "These idiots won't acknowledge that this GRAY dragon is Metalicana, which it clearly is—!"

"I keep telling you, dumbass, it's Igneel!" Natsu snarled, jumping up off the floor.

"You're both wrong! It's Grandeeney! I know her when I see her!" Wendy nearly shrieked, now near tears.

"Cut it out, both of you! Can't you see you're upsetting her?" Romeo glared, putting protective hand on Wendy's shoulder are she struggled to hold back her sadness.

Natsu did a double take at her teary-eyed face, leaning back uncomfortably. "Hey, Wendy, don't cry…"

"Now look what ya did, ya moron," Gajeel grumbled disconcertedly.

"Are you saying this is my fault, scrap-for-brains? You're the one that started this whole mess!" Natsu rounded on Gajeel, face twisted in anger.

"Why you little—" Gajeel growled back.

"EVERYBODY STOP."

Everybody stopped.

Levy stood on top of the table. "This is the stupidest argument I have ever heard in my entire life. And do you want to know why?" she inquired calmly.

Gajeel twitched. "Is the right answer to that question yes?"

Levy nodded, beaming a smile that screamed homicide. "That's exactly right, Gajeel."

She thrust forward the very request that had brought so much trouble (when did she get that?).

"It's stupid," Levy continued, "for the simple reason that _there is no dragon on this paper_."

Suddenly Natsu came back to life with a roar of passion. "Of course there is! Look, it's right there, clear as day!" He pointed triumphantly at the bottom left corner, where the as of yet unidentifiable dragon reared and bared its teeth.

Lucy, Happy, Lily, and Romeo peered closely at the page, squinting their eyes to make out any such form.

"I don't see anything, Natsu," Lucy frowned.

"Yeah, me neither!" enthused Happy, chewing on a fish.

Jaw dropping open, Natsu stared at the page. "B-But it's right there."

"There isn't, Natsu, I even checked for magic runes," Levy said gently but firmly. "The honest truth is that there is no—"

"I see it."

The three Dragonslayers and their companions turned, shocked, to stare at Romeo's resolute face.

"Romeo…kun?" Wendy said wonderingly, hands over her mouth.

Romeo sighed, scratching his head. "I couldn't tell you which it looks like," he mumbled, "since I never met any of your dragons. It just looks like an ink drawing to me, without color, but it's definitely there." The young teen stared stoutly into the faces of the elder mages.

Natsu looked at Romeo's determined face for just a moment longer, before breaking out into his customary fiery grin. "See, I told you! It must be a signal to Dragonslayers!"

"And apparently Romeo," Levy narrowed her eyes at the young Rainbow Fire mage, but he refused to back down, meeting her stare head on.

"This request must be something real special, and since we're the only ones who can see the symbol, that makes us the chosen ones!" He struck a dramatic pose. "I'm all fired up!"

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered enthusiastically.

"Come on, Happy, let's get packing!" Natsu punched one fist into his hand, grinning madly. "This could be our chance to find Igneel once and for all!"

"Now wait just a minute!" Lucy cried out, grabbing the back of Natsu's scarf and choking him in the process. "You can't just go wherever you please! In the first place, you were just coming over here to pick US a mission! I need my rent money, Natsu!"

"Well, then, let's just join Romeo and Wendy's mission!"

"NO!"

"But Luuuuuucyyyyyyyy—"

"Sounds good to me, gihi," Gajeel grinned roughly.

"Now hold on just a second!" Romeo cried out from his place next to Wendy. "This is our mission! You can't all just barge in as you please—"

Gajeel stood up, palms flat on the table. "I don't know about lava head here, but I'm definitely going, and ain't nothing going to stop me. Lily, let's get packing."

Pantherlily smiled wryly, stretching and flying up to follow Gajeel. "This seems like quite the adventure, doesn't it?"

Gajeel ambled slowly away from the table, stopping briefly by the place where Wendy and Romeo stood. Wendy scrubbed her eyes furiously, sniffling. She opened her mouth to apologize, but was stopped by a large, warm hand on top of her head.

"My bad, kid," Gajeel mumbled embarrassedly, unused to apologizing even now.

"That's alright, Gajeel-san," Wendy smiled up at the older Dragonslayer, someone she had always considered an older brother. "It was my fault too."

Gajeel huffed, ruffling her hair once and smirking at Romeo's jealous.

"Alright, Lily, let's—"

"I'm going too!" Gajeel stopped and turned his head around at Levy's sudden outburst.

"Nuh-uh, shrimp," he frowned, "this is way too dangerous. You're better off staying at the guild."

"_Don't_ blow me off, Gajeel Redfox," she snapped, blushing at his overprotective attitude. Hopping off the table, she folded her arms. "Besides, do any of you even speak the language?" Levy nodded approvingly at the ensuing silence. "That's what I thought. You'll need a translator," she spoke to Romeo and Wendy, who had by now entirely lost control of the situation.

"Well, if the metal head's going, I'm going too, no questions necessary!" Natsu declared, grabbing Lucy's hand (seemingly oblivious to her furious blush). "Let's go, Lucy! We need to get ready!"

"Aye sir!"

"WHY AM I BEING INCLUDED IN THIS?"

* * *

><p>Wendy winced, recalling the fiasco that had led to the motley crew before her. And it looked like Romeo agreed with her opinion of the situation, judging from his telltale shudder.<p>

"Well, the train will be here any minute, so hopefully we'll get some peace and quiet," Romeo grumbled, glancing at the station clock.

"Hey, look who it is! The chibi-couple!"

Wendy and Romeo turned around in surprise. "C-Cana-san?"

"We're not a couple, Cana!" Romeo growled. Wendy nodded vigorously, ignoring the sad ripple in her chest at Romeo's quick denial.

"Alright, alright, settle down, tiger," Cana laughed easily. And yet, if Wendy looked a little closer she could see a tightness around the edges of her mouth, and the beginning of bags under her eyes that spoke of—no, screamed false cheer.

"Wendy, you got a minute?" Cana inquired, beckoning her over.

Wendy nodded confusedly, lightly making her way over to the Card Mage.

"Let's go over here," the older woman said, leading Wendy subtly away from a clearly eavesdropping Rainbow Fire wizard.

Cana placed both hands on Wendy's shoulders, eyes roving over her face, unusually serious. "Wendy, I think it might be best if you didn't go on this mission."

Immediately Wendy protested. "C-Cana-san, I appreciate the concern but this is a mission I chose—"

"I know!" Cana interrupted her forcefully. Her grip tightened minutely. "I know, but the cards have been giving me bad messages, and…some other things have happened," Cana trailed off ambiguously. "The point is, it is not safe for you. You can't—"

"I must," Wendy said softly. "It is my duty as a Fairy Tail mage to help people in need. Besides," she raised her head, "this mission…called to me. Like I was meant to take it."

Cana sighed, dropping her head in defeat. "If that is the path you choose, then I can give only some advice," she intoned in a low, almost weary voice.

Standing up straight, Cana began to speak as if she had memorized her words a long time ago—or like she was reciting from a script.

"The Fool has sparked your journey. You are the High Priestess—your potential grows every passing minute, until it threatens to swallow you whole. Beware the Hermit: the doubts about the nature of your existence will eat away at you until you are nothing. The Wheel of Fortune controls your destiny—Fate shapes this quest for you and for the others. The Hierophant will cause you trouble. The Lovers will betray you. The Tower will test your adaptability. Many trials await you."

Cana looked down at Wendy, who stared, uncomprehending of all the magical information coming towards her.

"And above all," Cana continued with an air of finality about her, "don't be afraid to rely on the King of Wands." She looked behind Wendy, eyes locking on to something.

"In fact," she went on almost wistfully, "You may need him most of all."

Wendy turned slowly, following Cana's direct line of sight—

-and landing on Romeo's smiling face.

"Yeah," she found herself whispering without her own consent. "You might be right."

The familiar _choo-choo_ of the train grew near, making Natsu and Gajeel (though he'd never admit it) groan with dread.

"Thank you, Cana-san," Wendy said, eyes firmly fixed on Romeo. "I'll do my best to make Fairy Tail proud."

One foot after another, the Sky Dragonslayer made her way back to her precious team—the first steps of a new adventure.

Cana clutched her cards in hand, letting out a long breath.

"Didn't you know, Wendy? You already have."

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

><p><strong>EXPLANATION OF TAROT CARDS<strong>

**-The Fool: Representation of Zero—the spark that sets everything into motion.**

**-The High Priestess: Representation of inner mystery; unlimited basic potential of The Magician**

**-The Hermit: Representation of he who seeks answers alone, shrouded in the dark.**

**-The Wheel of Fortune: Representation of fate or destiny's interference.**

**-The Hierophant: The "card of beliefs"; represents a very spiritual (possibly religious) person or event.**

**-The Lovers: Duality, necessity of proper choice (possibly between two people)**

**-The Tower: A destructive and creative force—represents being able to change old beliefs.**

**-The King of Wands: Pure fire energy. A natural leader, able to change the world to match his vision.**

* * *

><p><strong>And that's a wrap! I thought King of Wands was pretty accurate for Romeo, a fire mage. And yeah, some people might say that's more Natsu, and it kind of is, but this story focuses on the younger mages, so it's Romeo.<strong>

**Please, please, please, let's try three reviews!**

**Song: Dreaming Shout—Livetune ft. Nirgilis**


	3. revolution3

"This" denotes speaking in Fioran (English?)

"**This**" denotes speaking in Meshbaalan

**This chapter is dedicated to Sprintjump, for being the first reviewer! I hope others can follow his/her example, because I know people have been visiting and not reviewing. Please do.**

* * *

><p><strong>Prabha<strong>

* * *

><p><em> Ksh—Kshhhhhhh—<em>

_ "H…li!"_

_ "This way!"_

_ "…ey! Ha—"_

_ Kshhhh—_

_ "Hali! Come back here!"_

_ "It's fine, it's fine! We'll be fine, so let's go!"_

_ "Hali, no!"_

* * *

><p><em> "So."<em>

_ Wendy grit her teeth, digging her feet into the swirling and dissolving sands. She raised her arms, forming an X across her face in a vain attempt to protect her eyes from the flying sands._

_ The figure, locked in shadow, smiled twistedly, hair flying in the wind. "You did come after all. I knew you would—you're one of _that_ kind."_

_ "And just what is _that _kind?" Wendy said back, anger (or was it fear?) mixed into her voice._

_ "You know the answer to that, stupid girl," the figure chuckled, twisting a strand of hair around her finger. "You're surrounded by them everyday—the_ spirited_ kind. The kind that goes around saying things like, 'I'll never give up!' Or maybe, 'If my friends are with me I can do anything!' Those kinds of people always fight the hardest against that which cannot be avoided."_

_ As the figure sighed dramatically, putting one hand against its face as the winds seemed to pick up. "But they die too, you know, just like everyone else. Even for you, death is the only possible end. Everything lives—everything dies. And those kinds of people never accept it until it's staring them in the face, which makes their reactions all the more…beautiful."_

_ "That's why, you see," the figure dragged her hand down her face to curl over her mouth, hiding her smile, "I like spirited people. After all,"_

_ "They're the most fun to _**break**_."_

_._

_._

_._

_ "Wendy-neechan!"_

_ Wendy froze, hands slowly dropping listlessly to her sides. Her mouth parted, trying to form words that woud not come out_

_ "Asuka…chan…?"_

_ "Wendy-neechan! Help me, please!"_

_ Wendy turned slowly, hands shaking, suddenly ignorant of the howling winds. Asuka Connell knelt, clothes dirty and ripped, hair loose, grabbing uselessly at the sand as it fell away under her fingertips and swirled in the air. Human figures arose from the dust, featureless, —people of dirt and sand that reached out for Asuka, grabbing at her hair, her face, her throat, dragging her backwards as she screamed and cried._

_ "WENDY-NEECHAN! PLEASE!"_

_ "Asuka!" Wendy screamed, once again unable to move. One sandy hand swirled in front of her face, as if to cover her mouth. Asuka choked, fine grit entering her nose and lungs._

_ "PLEASE!"_

_ Wendy clamped her hands over her ears, screaming until her throat was raw as tinkling laughter echoed behind her, surrounding her, drowning her, until there was nothing left but—_

* * *

><p>Lucy scowled half-heartedly at the groaning head of pink currently nestled in her lap, before her face melted into a tiny smile. She smoothed his hair gently with one hand, looking around the train. Natsu lay sprawled across the seat he shared with Lucy, on leg hanging off the chair. Directly across from them sat Romeo (who seemed to be reading a book, as uncharacteristic as it was) and Wendy, who slept leaning against the window. To Lucy's right, across the aisle, Happy, Pantherlily, Charle, and Levy struggled to prop up a very green looking Gajeel, who did his best to hold in his moans and flopped about rather uselessly.<p>

"You look like you're having a lot of fun over there, Levy," Lucy giggled.

Levy scowled in her direction, blowing a piece of hair out of her face, before smirking in the direction of Lucy's lap. "Yeah, well, so do you. Tell me, what's it like being a personal pillow, Lu-chan?"

Lucy sputtered, blushing down at the mop of pink and quickly removing her hand. "Probably better than being a personal arm rest!"

"I am _not_ a personal arm rest!" Levy stuck her tongue out at the smirking blond, before the Iron Dragonslayer's body abruptly pushed her down. Lucy winced.

"My goodness!" Charle exclaimed as she and the other Exceeds pulled at the back of Gajeel's shirt, wings flapping vainly. "How much does he _weigh_?"

"It's all the metal," Pantherlily grunted, swooping down to push Gajeel up from underneath. "It probably accounts for at least a third, if not a half of his body weight."

"Okay guys, on three!" gasped a slowly suffocating Levy. "One, two, three!"

Simultaneously all four pushed and pulled, straining with all their might until inch by inch Gajeel was leaning against the window, covering his mouth and puffing out his cheeks. Levy flopped against the seat, taking heaving breaths of air as the Exceeds slumped together on the opposite seat.

Lucy looked out the window at the rushing countryside. They had been travelling already for four hours, and all the while she saw the scenery grow sparser and sparser, Fiore's familiar landscape giving way to arid desert. Trees (and houses, and people) had been appearing more and more rarely, as though the train was hurtling straight into oblivion. A small sound drew her attention to the young, quiet mages across from her—Wendy, it seemed, shuffling quietly in her sleep, her face contorting slightly before relaxing.

Levy stretched, then bent down the shuffle through her bag. "We should be getting there soon, Lu-chan," she said as she pulled out a small book labeled with the same symbols as the ones on the request.

Lucy sighed in relief, absentmindedly whacking a shifting Natsu on the head. "Thank goodness," she said, "I thought that we were gonna be stuck on this train forever!"

"That would be Natsu and Gajeel's worst nightmare!" laughed Levy. "Can you just imagine—"

"Nn…"

Lucy and Levy immediately quieted, glancing over at the Sky Sorceress. She was frowning heavily in her sleep, fingers clenching unconsciously.

"We didn't wake her right?" Lucy whispered nervously. "She looked so tired at the station."

"N—…"

"Do you think something's wrong?" Levy frowned. Romeo looked up from his book at her words, gazing worriedly at his grimacing partner. "It doesn't look like whatever she's dreaming about is very pleasant."

"Stop it…" Wendy mumbled, shifting uneasily. "Stop…"

Romeo closed his book and set it aside, putting a hand on Wendy's shoulder and shaking her gently. "Wendy. Wake up, Wendy."

Wendy twitched, mouth parting slightly. "Stop it…Don't!"

Romeo shook her harder as Lucy and Levy leaned forward in concern, drawing the attention of the Exceeds. Charle swooped over to land on Wendy's lap, putting a paw on her arm as Romeo continued to shake her. "Wendy, wake up!"

"No," Wendy said, her voice growing louder, oblivious to the concerned attempts to wake her.

"_Stop it_!"

Wendy jerked awake, sitting forward so suddenly she almost knocked Charle off her lap. Blinking rapidly, she looked around at the worried faces of her companions. From his resting place on Lucy's lap Natsu lifted his head blearily, still quite green in the face.

"Everybody shut up…S'too loud in here," he groaned.

"Like you're one to talk!" Lucy snapped on reflex, before growing quiet and looking over at a pale and shaken Wendy. "Are you okay? Did you have a bad dream?"

"Um, yes, I suppose," Wendy stumbled, "I had…a bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Levy encouraged, smiling cheerfully if uneasily at the young girl. "Talking about bad dreams always helps me."

"Oh no, t-that's fine," she stuttered, shaking her head. "I-I don't really remember much of it now, anyway, so it's really okay! Don't worry about me!" She tittered nervously, rubbing the back of her head.

"If you're sure…" Levy trailed off, before continuing on briskly. "By the looks of it, we'll be arriving soon, so I'd make sure that you have everything with you and get ready for your big mission!"

"Right!" Wendy nodded determinedly pulling her bag up onto her lap to organize and check its contents. With one last glance over her shoulder, Charle rejoined Lily and Happy, berating the later almost immediately. Slowly the atmosphere relaxed back into its former state, with Wendy smiling happily at her fellow mages.

Only Romeo's gaze remained firmly riveted on Wendy, face blank and serious. Wendy wasn't perfectly fine, no matter what she said, and Romeo knew that for sure—because out of all of them, he was the only one who noticed Wendy's still trembling hands.

Carefully, he reached over and laid one of his own warms hands over Wendy's small, cool ones. Wendy turned her head fast enough to get whiplash, eyes wide in confusion at Romeo's blushing but grave expression.

"You know," he began, "that you can always come to us for help, right? No matter what the problem is? And we'll always be here for you, because we're Fairy Tail." _ I'll always be here for you._

Wendy looked down at Romeo's hand over hers, the warm pressure rooting her to her spot—grounding her. Looking back up, she smiled genuinely. "Yeah. I know."

_Thank you_.

* * *

><p>"Finally off that train!" Natsu stretched, letting the heat soak into his muscles, rolling his head before turning to grin at his companions. "That wasn't so long, we should have just walked!"<p>

"It was _four and a half hours_, moron," Lucy snipped half-heartedly, dragging her bag lethargically behind her. She stopped, panting. "Why is it so hot?!"

It was true, Wendy noted as she examined their new surroundings; the city of Hamil, indeed the country of Meshbaal itself was surrounded by miles of burning desert, and was overlooked by an unforgiving sun that beat down on the mages harshly. Hot wind swirled the sand; the afternoon light lit up the sand as if it glowed gold, uninterrupted by plants but for the occasional scraggly bush. The clear blue sky stretched for miles overhead—so big, it seemed it might swallow everything from horizon to horizon. Shielding her face from the glare, Wendy looked around at the bustling city. The train station was built in the direct center of town, surrounded by buildings of stone—most likely houses—and lively markets, selling anything and everything imaginable. Wendy's eyes widened at the displays—rich and beautiful bolts of cloth, bright vegetables and meats, shining jewelry. The people, tan from days in the sun walked in loose, billowy clothing from stall to stall, exchanging coins as they babbled and gossiped.

But something else permeated the air—some sense of tenseness, of foreboding, which did not belong in such a bright town. The people looked from side to side as though they were hunted; they did not touch anything—or anyone—more than they had to. They exuded distrust.

Shaking her head to rid herself of the niggling sensation Wendy turned to Romeo next to her.

"This looks like a nice place," said Wendy.

"Yeah, there's so much stuff—"

"**Who are they****?"**

Wendy jumped at the harsh whisper from behind her, turning her head to identify the speaker. Two women wrapped in scarves covering their faces and hair started guiltily as she faced them, hiding behind their hands as they continued to speak in hushed tones.

"Something wrong, Wendy?" Romeo inquired, following her line of sight to the women.

"No, not particularly," she began, "It's just that for a second I could have sworn they were talking to us…or maybe about us…"

"Come to think of it, aren't there a lot of people looking at us?" Lucy interjected, voice lowered nervously.

Looking at their immediate surroundings, Wendy realized she was right. All over the square people were staring, some openly, some not. Whispers abounded, spoken in throaty tones with harsh intonations.

"**Why are they here?"**

**"Look at their clothes; they must be foreigners."**

**"Bah! Foreigners coming here, at this time? They are worse than fools."**

**"Will they hurt us?"**

**"The women wear no scarves! Barbarians!"**

"They're suspicious," Levy said quietly, entering the conversation quietly with Gajeel looming over her shoulder. "I told you before that this place doesn't take well to outside intrusion—and Fiorans are about as outside as you can get. There weren't any other people who got off here but us, so we probably stand out even more. We look completely different from them; we're wearing different clothes, we have different skin and hair—they don't trust us."

"What are they saying?" Natsu asked.

"Nothing too bad," she assured him. "They're mostly wondering who we are, and what we're doing here; some of them are commenting on our clothes and such—something about scarves?" Levy frowned. "I was so busy studying the language that I forgot to look up the culture; they must be significant in some way, but I'm not sure how—"

"That's not just it," rumbled Gajeel. "Something's weird about this place." He eyed the gathered crowd suspiciously. "They smell—scared, almost. Something's not right with them."

"He's right," said Natsu as he drew in a deep breath. "There's another funny scent too; like they spent too much time in the bath or something." He looked to Happy, perched on his shoulder. "They must really like their baths here, huh?"

"Forgetting about that," Gajeel interrupted, "just look at 'em. Being foreign is all well and good, but these guys are too suspicious. It's like they think we're out to get them."

Levy frowned, craning her head up to look at him. "Well, what do you mean by 'something'—"

"Fairy Tail! That's you, right?"

Wendy's ears caught the sound of running footsteps before she saw the slight figure that pushed its way through the dense crowd. The crowed parted around him, stumbling to get away from his insistent push, until finally a boy stood before them, slightly out of breath but grinning so hard that his eyes closed all the same.

"Sorry I'm late—I'm Merin!"

* * *

><p>Wendy examined the client in front of her with interest. He couldn't have been much older than her or Romeo—just Romeo's height, in fact, if not a little shorter. Tan brown skin covered a lanky body—not much muscle, but still fit. Dark black hair fell in front of his face, artfully covering a wide forehead, at it's longest point almost touched the top of his slim, straight nose. Wendy blushed—altogether he <em>was<em> rather handsome, in a purely aesthetic sense. Romeo scowled.

"Get going, kids," Natsu pushed them and winked. "It's your mission."

Wendy stepped forward nervously, clearing her throat and wincing at Romeo's still present scowl. "Y-yes, we're from Fairy Tail. I'm Wendy Marvell, a h-healer…" she stuttered to a stop, glancing back for encouragement.

_A healer—am I really just a healer?_

"That's fantastic! Thank you so much for coming," Merin gushed in only slightly accented Fioran. "I'm here to take you to where you'll be staying right away!"

He stepped forward, opening his eyes—

Wendy sucked in a quick breath at the color—brilliant wine red, piercing but warm.

"So let's get go—" he stopped dead, eyes widening as he stared.

"_What _are you _wearing_?" he gasped. "No wonder there were so many people—come on, we have to get you properly dressed!"

Quickly moving behind them he herded the protesting group of mages forward in the direction of the crowd, which parted down the middle for them like the Red Sea.

"I'll get you to my grandfather's house right away; he'll explain everything when we get there, and he'll take care of explaining to the people too, since we didn't actually say anything about it to them—whoops, our mistake, heh heh," Merin shoved the mages along through the clear path in the muttering crowd—clear, that is, but for one person.

"**Just a moment, Merin.**" An elderly looking lady veiled but for her sharp eyes stepped into their path. The mages came screeching to a halt; Merin stepped gracefully around them to speak.

"**Who are these people?**" she asked, a hush falling over the crowd. "**What is their purpose here?**"

"**They are powerful mages from Fiore in the north,**" Merin projected his voice to the silent people. "**Grandfather has asked them here to help solve our—**" he hesitated. "**Problem. I assure you, they mean no harm, efendim.**" He bowed.

Silence rang out, everyone looking to the woman as if she was a leader. _She must be someone important to them_, Wendy thought. Her authority was clear, in her bearing and in her words. After a moment, she nodded imperiously once before turning and deliberately walking away to resume her business. Taking it as a cue the rest of the crowd dispersed slowly, still whispering behind their hands.

"Anyways, let's get going so that doesn't happen again," Merin switched back to Fioran, grabbing a blushing Wendy's hand to pull her up. Rounding on his heel he walked briskly away, leaving the confused mages to follow quickly in his footsteps.

"What were they talking about?" Gajeel whispered to Levy.

"He was saying we were called here to solve a problem," Levy replied. She looked at him wryly, three of her steps matching one of his. "I guess that's your 'something'."

Gajeel grunted. "Guess we'll find out."

* * *

><p><em>Desert outlying Meshbaal: date and time unknown<em>

"C'mon, Erza, we've been searching for hours," Gray groaned, stripped down to only his boxers. "Let's take a break—it's too damn hot out here!"

"Not for another two hours at least," said Erza confidently, scarlet hair blowing in the breeze. "If there's still time left, then we'll keep searching. And put your clothes back on."

"Yeah, yeah," Gray grumbled, reaching for his spare shirt

"_What was that?"_

"Y-Yes, ma'am! On it, ma'am!"

"That's what I thought."

"I wonder how Flame Brain and Lucy are doing, though," he mused, pulling his pants back on. "Where did they say they were going?"

"They didn't, really," Erza replied, straining her eyes through the bright sand. "It seemed like they were in a hurry."

"Wherever they are, I hope it's better than this goddamned desert," Gray grumbled.

"Less talking, more searching!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

><p><em>They're here.<em>

* * *

><p><strong> I hope everyone enjoyed the new chapter! Please, please, please, drop a review, because so far I've only gotten one and it would be nice to get some encouragement, because writing something on a place for concrit and not getting any is really disheartening. I'm begging here. <strong>

** I know it's going really slowly, but now that the exposition is done and the setting has been introduced we can really get started on the good stuff. Once again, please review!**

**-WD2645**

**Song: Sorairo Days-Shouko Nakagawa (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)**


	4. revolution4

**Yay! Chapter Four!  
><strong>

**This chapter is dedicated to my awesome new beta, Tatertotrocks, who I am so grateful for! Thanks so much for your help (and for making me feel like an official writer with a beta OMG so fancy).**

**Without further ado, the next chapter of Prabha.**

* * *

><p>Prabha<p>

* * *

><p><em>Ksh—<em>

_ Kshhhhh—_

_ "H…li…"_

_ "…in! H…"_

_ "W…tch…ca…ful…"_

_ "…IN! BEHIND YOU!"_

_ Kshhhhh—_

* * *

><p><em> Wendy stood, feet planted in the sand, paying no heed to the tearing desert winds or to the grit that scratched her face. Unconsciously she crossed her arms over her chest, anger twisting her normally sweet face. The shadow's mouth curved into a grin, noticing the way her shoulders hunched in on themselves, the tightness of her mouth, the slight tremor that had nothing to do with the cold—the unspoken fear that could not be hidden by bravado. She opened her mouth to begin, but Wendy cut across.<em>

_ "Who are you?" she asked, voice full of tense, false calm. "Why are you doing this?"_

_ The figure twitched, a flick of her shadowed head the only indication of her movement. Wendy squinted, trying to make out any feature, any clue to the shadow's identity. No curves. No gender specific clothes, no discernable characteristics but long, long hair. Whatever it was, it was the embodiment of nothing; the epitome of the unknown. _

_ "My, my," it grinned, unconcerned with Wendy's scrutiny, "it's not like you to speak first. It's not like you to do _anything_ first, actually. You always have to be approached first." It sighed dramatically. "Look at all the work you're making poor me do. I have a life too, you know."_

_ "If I'm making you do so much work why are you still here?" Wendy ground out, doing her best to ignore the jabs at her timidity. "Get out of my head and leave me alone."_

_ "That's not true, though, is it?" it mused, lost in its own world, as if it was completely unaware of Wendy's presence. "I suppose no one really has a life."_

_ It tilted its head to the side, angling its (presumable) face in Wendy's direction. Wendy could practically see the insane smile aimed at her; the thought sent shivers down her spine. _

_ "Your life is not your own," it droned. "Your life is nothing, and when it ends you will be nothing, and no one will care. Who would? Who could possibly care for someone so _weak_?"_

_ "I'm not," Wendy began, voice strong—but it wavered, her hesitation clear—"I'm not wea—"_

_ "If you're not weak, then why can't you do anything for your 'friends'?" the shadow spat. "If you're strong, then _save them._"_

_ "If you think you can."_

_._

_._

_._

_ "MIRA!"_

_ "MIRA-NEE!"_

_ Suddenly the shadow was gone, and Wendy's true nightmare began._

_ Mirajane, who had always been so kind to her, her pure white hair stained with blood, hung suspended in the air by each limb, forming an X with her body. Ropes of sand coiled around her wrists and ankles, her head lolling to the side, clearly unconscious. At her feet Lisanna and Elfman struggled, bound by sand that seemed to have taken on a life of its own. _

_ Wendy stood rooted to her spot, uncomprehending as the ropes pulled at Mirajane's arms. Her body stretched, straining against the unnaturally strong pull. _

_ Lisanna screamed wordlessly, her voice grating against her throat. Elfman roared, thrashing from side to side. The sand remained heedless. It pulled and pulled and pulled—_

_ "Huh?" Mirajane's eyes began to open, slowly at first, until they snapped open, registering the pain. She shrieked, opening her mouth to cry out—_

_ For Wendy, it was as if everything went silent. Mirajane's body snapped apart, and blood became rain._

_ "Why, Wendy?"_

_ Sound came rushing back. Lisanna glared, tears in her eyes as Elfman openly sobbed, trying vainly to drag his body to the scattered pieces of his beloved sister. Nothing would come out of Wendy's throat, _

_ "You should have saved her," Lisanna whispered, drenched in the blood of her sibling. "It should have been you!"_

* * *

><p><em>earlier that day<em>

"Welcome to my grandfather's house!"

The Fairy Tail mages looked up at the huge mansion in awe. It was built completely out of stone, with copious windows and a front garden—a garden, in the desert! Wendy's mouth dropped open for a moment before she realized and shut it quickly, embarrassed.

"Wow, your house is freaking huge!" Natsu grinned, arms behind his head. "Ya got anything to eat?"

"Quiet, idiot!" Lucy snapped, wiping a hand across her forehead. "It's not polite to just ask for food!"

"Aw, lighten up, Luigi!" pouted Natsu. "I'm hungry, I didn't eat anything on the train!"

"Yeah, Luigi! Don't be mean to Natsu!" Happy circled her head, batting at her face with his paws.

"Shut up, you stupid cat! My name is Lucy," she growled, grabbing at the Exceed.

Merin stared. "Is this…normal, for you? And why is that cat talking—for that matter why is it flying?"

Wendy smiled awkwardly, mouth twitching. "It's…a long story. I'll explain later, if you want." Gajeel snorted at the displeased frown that appeared on Romeo's face.

"Cool!" beamed Merin, inserting a key and opening the front door. "Later, though. Right now we have to introduce you to grandfather," he eyed the girls up and down, "and get you properly dressed."

He threw open the door, and Wendy's mouth dropped open once again. Only this time, she didn't bother closing it.

The front hall was spacious and gleaming with white. Pure marble floors seemed to absorb the golden lights, reflecting them back as if they were glowing. Two staircases swept up either wall, connected by a landing that extended into the upper floor, presumably where the bedrooms were. Merin led the slack jawed group down the hall, past an elaborate dining room, a comfortable looking parlor, and into a smaller but no less elegant family room. The shades were down, darkening the room considerably, but it remained lit by small lacrimae. At a desk in the corner sat elderly looking man with hair whitened from age. His face was serious, wrinkled, but the crow's feet around his eyes indicated he smiled he often.

Merin bowed. "**Grandfather, I've brought the mages of Fairy Tail,**" he said, eyes fixed on the ground.

The old man turned, smiling at the sight of Merin. He began to speak in the same harsh but elegant language as before, his voice calm and pleasant. Merin straightened and answered in lilting, bird-like tones, his voice lifting and falling.

Wendy shifted from foot to foot. _Calm down, _she thought. _This is your mission. You're the healer. You can save—_she choked mentally, thoughts coming to a halt.

_Save…who can I save? I can't save anyone._

Time slowed. Wendy's heart beat faster; her eyes unfocused as she panicked, doubt welling up in her mind.

_I can't do it. It can't be me. I have to ask Romeo-kun or Gajeel-san or Natsu-san to be in charge for me—_

A hand wrapped around her wrist, slightly callused but still warm. Romeo's gaze remained fixed forwards, but he leaned his head to the side, just over her shoulder. "Don't be so nervous. It's my mission too, you know. I have to protect you, and it won't do me any good if you're panicking while I'm trying to…well, do stuff," he ended lamely.

Wendy blushed reflexively at the feel of his hand on hers, but it soon faded as she took in its warmth. She breathed deeply once, allowing herself to feel the presence of her family around her. The scent of old paper and ink from Levy, of earth from Gajeel, Natsu's passion, Lucy's kindness. Charle landed on her shoulder, providing quiet assurance to her charge. The sound of fluttering wings echoed as the other Exceeds took their places on their respective Dragonslayers' shoulders.

_I'm not alone,_ she thought fiercely. _I have my nakama. It's not just me._

The old man said something, glancing at the mages. Merin answered quickly and walked purposefully out of the room, closing the door behind him. With a glance at each other Romeo and Wendy stepped forward.

The old man smiled and stood. "Welcome," he said in more accented but no less fluent Fioran. "I thank you for coming, wizards of Fairy Tail."

"I apologize for my idiot grandson." He glanced wryly out the door. "He probably dragged you here without explaining anything."

"Got that right," Gajeel grunted, crossing his arms. The old man looked over at him, seemingly unfazed by his pierced and menacing appearance.

"Let my introduce myself," he continued. "My name is Zahin Edris. My grandson, whom you've obviously met, is Merin Edris. May I ask for your names?"

Natsu grinned, bright and warm always. "The name's Natsu Dragneel, gramps! Nice to meetcha! And this is Happy," he pointed to the small blue cat perched on his shoulder.

"Aye!"

"Don't be so rude, Natsu!" moaned Lucy. She gave Zahin an apologetic look, but he only chuckled and shook his head. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia, sir. I'm a Celestial Spirit Mage, and Natsu is a Fire Dragonslayer."

"A slayer of dragons, you say?" Zahin's eyes widened in disbelief. "You must be truly powerful indeed."

"Flame Brain? Yeah right," Gajeel snickered. "He couldn't take down a dragon if it laid down in front of him and rolled over."

Natsu growled, stepping towards Gajeel, who grinned and cracked his knuckles. "What was that, you son of a—"

Levy stepped in between them, hands out. "There will be NO fighting in someone else's house, or so help me I will find Erza and get her down here," she said calmly. "Have I made myself clear?"

"Y-Yes ma'am!" Natsu snapped to attention.

"Tch," Gajeel frowned but turned his head to the side, backing down.

Levy turned to their host. "It's nice to meet you, Zahin-san," she beamed. "My name is Levy Mcgarden; I'm a Solid Script mage and here to act as a translator. This lug over here," she pointed to Gajeel, who scowled, "is Gajeel Redfox, the Iron Dragonslayer, and his partner Pantherlily."

Gajeel said nothing, but nodded. Pantherlily gave a gentlemanly bow. "A pleasure."

"Likewise," Zahin nodded. "But if I recall correctly, the request was for a healer. Which leaves…" he turned to Wendy and Romeo's direction.

Squeezing Wendy's wrist once and letting go, Romeo stepped forward with his head held high. "I'm Romeo Conbolt, a Rainbow Fire mage. I'm escorting our guild's best healer."

He turned his head backwards, smile bright, eyes inviting her forward. Wendy stepped forward, speaking carefully so as not to stutter.

"My name is Wendy Marvell," she said quietly, feeling the pride of her companions warming her back. "I'm the Sky Dragonslayer and a healer; this is Charle, my guardian." Charle nodded imperiously.

"Romeo and I chose this mission, with Levy's help," she continued, voice unwavering. "I'll do my best to help with whatever problem you have. Please take care of us." She bowed quickly.

Zahin's eyes softened at the young mage's grace. "The same to you. I have every confidence that you will be able to help us."

Abruptly the door slammed open, bouncing off the wall and shocking the mages. Merin beamed, still full of enthusiasm. "I brought them, grandfather!" he crowed.

Wendy sagged, putting hand over her racing heart. Zahin sighed.

"Yes, Merin, I can see that. As much as you seem to think, I am not yet blind."

Merin artfully ignored his grandfather, passing out a long strip of airy cloth to Wendy, Lucy, Levy, and even Charle. "You have to wrap these around your head, to cover your hair."

"I meant to ask earlier, but what is the significance of that?" Levy inquired, examining her strip of bright blue cloth, embroidered with azure butterflies—a perfect match for her aquamarine head.

"It's considered modest to cover one's head in our culture," Zahin offered. "It has religious connotations, but overall it is a symbol of humility. Men sometimes wear similar caps as well, but not always."

"More importantly than that, how the heck do you put it on?" Lucy grumbled, tossing the cloth haphazardly over her head. It was pure gold, bold and brilliant, patterned with small suns. On Lucy's head, it emphasized her hair and brightened her face, as if she was shining. Natsu's mouth opened slightly, his eyes staring until she snapped at him to stop, face red.

Wendy looked at the long piece of fabric she held in her hands, contemplating the best way to wrap it. It was pure white, and floated in her hands as if it was made of nothing but air—fitting, for a Sky Dragonslayer such as herself. Charle's was a light pink with tassels on the ends that complimented her white fur.

"Well, I think having it on your head is a good start," said Zahin, one hand posed critically on his chin. "After that, I'm…not entirely sure," he trailed off.

"You mean you don't know?" cried Lucy.

"Well, I'm not a woman," he said defensively. "Merin, do you know?"

Merin spluttered as Wendy and Romeo giggled. "Of course not! Why don't you ask—"

A sigh sounded from behind. Wendy turned towards the door, where an elderly woman stood with a basket full of vegetables in hand, shaking her head at the boys' foolishness. She wore a long, loose skirt and cardigan, and her hair was covered with a black cloth.

"Whatever will I do with you two?" she chuckled, sweeping into the room and setting her basket on the desk. Zahin looked at her with a soft, dear expression, and she covered his hand with hers for a moment, looking deeply into his eyes. Merin made a face.

"Come here, girls," she turned to them, eyes sparkling with good humor, "I am Aaliya, this old fool's wife. I will show you how to wear them."

She took the cloth gently from Wendy's hands, draping it over her head so that the end closest to her touched Wendy's forehead. She grabbed both trailing parts and twirled them around her shoulders, tucking the ends under to hold them in place, leaving Wendy's face uncovered. Romeo's breath caught; the way she was she looked almost like a bride.

Gajeel's foot thumped the back of his ankle gently but firmly. "Cool it, kid," he rumbled. "You look like a tomato."

Aaliya repeated the process for Levy, Lucy, and Charle. "There now," she said, "such beautiful girls."

"Thank you very much, Aaliya-san," Lucy smiled.

"I'm going to start dinner," said Aaliya. "We'll have a feast, to celebrate the arrival of such heroes in our home." Natsu preened, puffing out his chest. "Merin, come help your old grandmother."

"Do I have to?" he whined, even as he hurried to grab her basket and open the door. "And you're not old, grandmother." He looked at the contents of the basket, and stopped. "Are you going to make masgouf? Because if so, you forgot the tomatoes."

She gasped. "I didn't!"

Making her way over to peer at the contents of the basket, she sighed. "Merin, you'll have to go fetch some."

With a sly look at Wendy, Lucy quickly spoke up. "Why don't you take Wendy too?" Romeo's head whipped around to stare at her, mouth open. His eyes screamed betrayal, to Lucy's delight.

Wendy, meanwhile, was blissfully oblivious to the plotting happening behind her. "Sure! That would help to get me acquainted with the village."

"And we would be happy to help you, Aaliya-san," said Levy.

"Perfect! Let's get going then, my lady!" Merin jokingly held out his arm.

Until now, Romeo had resembled a bomb about to explode, his jaw working up and down without actually saying anything, hands clenching and unclenching. At this, however, he exploded into movement.

"I'll go too!" he practically ran in between Merin and Wendy, snatching up Wendy's arm in his own, ignoring the small twinge of pride in his chest at her instantaneous and furious blush. Merin cocked an eyebrow, looking vaguely amused.

"F-For security purposes," Romeo blustered. He pretended the excited giggles in the background weren't happening because there was _no way _Lucy had set that up on purpose the conniving little—

"Well, then," said Merin, "I guess we'd better get going!"

* * *

><p>"And the church is over there—"<p>

"The church?" interrupted Wendy.

"Oh yeah," nodded Merin, tomatoes in hand. "We call it an _udram_. A lot of the people here are very religious. That's a lot of the reason everybody freaked put when you guys showed up with no covers; but it's mostly the old people who haven't gotten out much, you know? It's kind of hard since most of them don't, well, really know much else—"

"**I think you'll find that we 'old people' know much more than someone like **_**you, **_**Merin Edris,**" a deep, icy voice cut in.

Merin came to stop, for the first time with a look of true annoyance on his face. Sucking in a breath he erased the emotions from his face and turned to face the voice.

An old man, around Zahin's age stood in the doorway of the udram, wearing long robes of white and an elaborate golden headpiece, wrapping around his head like vines. His head was free of hair, covered by a white round cap. His white beard was trimmed short, and his gnarled hands clutched a long wooden staff. Wendy took a step back as his small, beady black eyes fixated on her, narrowing with disgust. Romeo frowned, taking a half step in front of her with his arm slightly out to the side as if to shield her from his gaze.

"**You Edris fools**," the old man growled, the sunspots on his hands evident as he gripped his staff. "**What have you done, bringing these dirty foreigners into the middle of our sacred city? You shame Ulli with your treachery.**"

Merin glared right back, refusing to back down. "**The only one here who shames Ulli is you, Ibnir, with your refusal to accept the outside world. These **_**foreigners,**_** as you put it, are here to help us, regardless of your ignorance.**" Whispers began to form behind them as people from the marketplace stopped to watch the ongoing confrontation.

"**How dare you insult a chosen of Ulli**?" Ibnir sneered. "**You forget your place, boy**."

He turned to the crowd that had quietly gathered, raising his arms as if beckoning them forward. "**We need no mages to help us! Only the grace of Ulli will save us from doom! Live your life in submission to Ulli and you will be free of fear!**"

Romeo looked to Merin, who translated. "He is saying that we don't need you; that only the grace of our god Ulli will save us. Ibnir is a foolish old man, who won't take no for an answer. A lot of people listen to his babble just because of how long he's been a priest—but most of the elders listen because they agree with his outdated beliefs."

Ibnir looked to Wendy and Romeo, speaking in heavily accented and malicious Fioran. "Only children. You must be a truly powerful healer, _boy. _I certainly hope the rest of your guild aren't as weak as you and your wench look."

Romeo stepped up, face a mask of anger and opened his mouth to speak—

"He is not a healer."

Wendy gently pushed Romeo behind her with a hand on his chest. He stumbled back, mouth still open. She looked to Merin, who nodded silently. He repeated what she said in Meshbaalan. The crowd buzzed.

Wendy folded her hands together, gripping tightly. With calmness she certainly wasn't feeling she projected her voice. "I am Wendy Marvell, the Sky Dragonslayer and healer of our guild, Fairy Tail. I am here to assist you in what capacity I can."

The reaction was instantaneous. Distantly she heard Merin shout what she said back, but his voice was drowned out by an explosion of noise from the crowd. Ibnir roared, waving his staff madly.

"**Blasphemy**!" he cried. "**This **_**woman—**_**no, this**_** girl**_** presumes to say she is healer? That she is a slayer of dragons?**"

"It's true!" Romeo shouted back, wheeling to face the crowd. "Wendy was taken in by Grandeeney the Sky Dragon when she was very small, and she trained her in Dragonslayer magic—"

"**Disgraceful!**" Ibnir shouted, looking positively thunderous. "**It is not the place of a woman to learn magic, or to heal! This insolent charlatan is trying to makes fools out of us; she is trying to taint the women of our community! She is nothing! She cannot do anything!"**

** "Do not listen to this demon's words, I implore you," **he begged the crowd, even as his eyes shined with malice. "**Remember your place, all of you women, and Ulli will forgive you!"**

** "Forgive them for what?" **snapped Merin, momentarily stopping his translation. "**For being born? Wendy probably has way more power than you, Ibnir!"**

** "I will not have this insolence," **Ibnir cried. **"Ulli will not be denied—"**

** "I think that is quite enough of this nonsense,"** a familiar sounding voice stated authoritatively from the crowd. The crowd parted silently to admit the same elderly woman from earlier. Her sharp eyes took in the situation, silently noting the beginnings of tears in Wendy's eyes.

Merin leaned in close to Romeo and Wendy, murmuring. "That is Ashmat. She is an elder of the community. Her ancestors were the founders of Hamil—and she's never been one to listen to Ibnir about women. She's kind of a radical around here, but people listen to what she has to say because of her ancestry, and because she actually thinks before she says anything."

**"You will leave these people be, Ibnir,"** she said—no, commanded. **"If they say that they can help us, then I am inclined to believe them. They have done nothing to incur your wrath."**

** "Ulli will not abide by this, Ashmat—"**

** "No, **_**you**_** will not abide by it, Ibnir,"** Ashmat cut him off. **"Or do you fancy yourself to be Ulli incarnate?"**

Ibnir said nothing, only ground his teeth and swept back into the udram, slamming the doors for good measure.

**"And you, Merin,"** she looked sternly at him as the crowd began to disperse, shooting looks at Wendy and Romeo. **"No matter whether you agree or disagree with them, show some respect for your elders."**

** "Yes, efendim,"** Merin bowed.

**"Youngsters," **she grumbled good-naturedly. She turned a slightly kinder eye on the young mages, switching languages. "Do not take what he says to heart," she said to Wendy. "Ibnir does not have his head screwed on straight; the day he speaks sense is the day Ulli comes for us all."

"Thank you very much, Ashmat-san," Wendy bowed quickly wiping her tears. She nodded once and turned on her heel, making her way through the crowd again.

"I think it's high time you told us exactly what this 'problem' of yours is," Romeo said to Merin. He sighed.

"Grandfather is…still working some things out. He'll take you to the place tomorrow; until then I'd rather not say anything," said Merin.

"But—" Romeo tried to argue.

Wendy gently put a hand on his arm, stopping his words in their tracks. She looked at Merin and nodded.

"We understand," she said. "We'll wait for tomorrow."

* * *

><p><em>after the nightmare<em>

Wendy laid in the room she had chosen, heart hammering, face wet with tears she had unconsciously cried, thinking over the events of the day to distract herself from Mirajane's gruesome death. She looked at the clock—12:01 AM.

"I guess it's tomorrow."

_desert outlying Meshbaal, date and time unknown_

Gray leaned back on the sand, fingering his necklace absentmindedly. His eyes followed the swaying leaves of the palm tree above his head; he and Erza had made camp in a small oasis close to the town they had come from.

"I wonder where they could be hiding her," he mused. "There's not exactly much cover in the open desert, except for under the sand."

"Regardless, we have completed the physical search," Erza said from her place by the pool of water. "Tomorrow we will use the magical detection device that was given to us to search for concealment; hopefully that will be more effective. Until then, get some sleep."

"Sir yes sir," Gray grumbled quietly, turning onto his side.

"_What was that?_"

"Nothing ma'am!"

"That's what I thought. And put your shirt back on; it's not good to sleep bare in the desert. You'll get sunburn."

He closed his eyes and thought of home.

* * *

><p><em>They have begun to move.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Just in case anyone was confused the italics at the beginning of each chapter are Wendy's dreams-I might not do an "aftermath" every chapter, but just assume that they are occurring each night one after the other (wow I'm so mean to poor Wendy).<strong> **I promise they have relevance!**

**Please leave a review on your way out-reviews are my favorite snack!**

**-WD2645**

**Song: Glitter (Starving Trancer Remix)-from Fairy Tail**


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